1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a user interface, and more particularly, to a user interface method of a mobile device and a mobile communication system, which are associated with a portable touch display device. Although the present invention is suitable for a wide scope of applications, it is particularly suitable for displaying shortcut sub menu icons, which correspond to sub menu elements associated with main menu elements selected within a main menu in accordance with a user interface mode based upon a user touch characteristic, thereby enabling the user to execute a wanted (or selected) element more easily and quickly.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Recently, with the development of technology in electronics and telecommunications, devices providing a plurality of functions instead of one particular function are being developed. In using such devices, users may be able to use diverse interface tools that are fixed to the devices in order to allow aimed functions to be executed. If a user wishes to execute a particular function of a corresponding device, the user would require a navigation process for searching and selecting a corresponding element enabling the particular function to be executed by using an interface tool, such as an input button, a switch, a keyboard, a mouse, a trackball, a touch pad, a joystick, a touch screen, and so on. If the computer device has a plurality of functions, this navigation process would have to consist of relatively complex process steps.
For example, if a computer device provides main menu elements A, B, and C, each main menu element includes a plurality of sub menu elements. As shown in FIG. 1, the main menu element A includes sub menu elements A-1, A-2, and A-3 as lower menus. The main menu element B includes a sub menu element B-1, and the main menu element C includes sub menu elements C-1 and C-2. Subsequently, the sub menu element A-3 may include its lower menus A-3-1 and A-3-2.
As described above, when a computer device having a plurality of menu elements is operated by the user, the main menu elements A, B, and C are displayed onto a screen. If the user wishes to execute the function of A-3-2, which is a lower menu of the main menu element A, the user first uses the interface tool in order to select the main menu element A. Subsequently, when the main menu element A is selected, the sub menu elements A-1, A-2, and A-3 of the main menu element A are displayed. Thereafter, when the sub menu element A-3 is selected, the lower menus A-3-1 and A-3-2 are displayed. Therefore, by selecting the displayed element A-3-2, the user may execute the function of the corresponding element.
Meanwhile, if the user wishes to execute the sub menu element C-2 of the main menu element C while the A-3-2 element is being executed, the user moves back to the main screen where the main menu elements are displayed. Then, the user selects the main menu element C. Once the main menu element C is selected, the sub menu elements C-1 and C-2 of the main menu element C are displayed. Thereafter, by selecting the displayed element C-2, the user may execute the function of the corresponding element.
As described above, when the user wishes to execute one function from another from a computer device having multiple functions, the user must execute a complicated navigation process of having to sequentially select a plurality of elements in search of the element executing the corresponding function. This is inconvenient for the user and causes the user to consume an excessive amount of time in search for the corresponding element. Therefore, such complex navigation processes should be improved in order to provide the convenient and quick functions intended in mobile devices.